As It Was, But Different
by Pantherocker
Summary: James and Lily are murdered. But instead of living with the Dursleys after his parents untimly death, Harry Potter lives with Sirius. DISCONTINUED
1. Chapter 1: The Plan

A/N: Heehee. New story. I actually have plans for this one. That's always a good thing huh? Yupo. Well, I think that I should say the usual now. I really like reviews and stuff, duh, and I always am open to suggestions that will improve my grammar or deepen storyline. Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: Go to a shelf. Grab any Harry Potter book. See that? It does not belong to me. You should be singing for that fact.  
  
James Potter was sitting on (yes, 'on') the table in the backyard of his house in Godric's Hollow. He leaned over to coo at his son who was currently having his diaper changed. James finished the dirty work and picked up Harry and swung him over his head. Harry squealed with delight and waved his arms around.  
  
"Fwie, Fwie!" Harry yelled out.  
  
A head poked out of one of the windows in the house. "James! You know that it's not safe to be outside. Come inside this instant!" Lily yelled.  
  
James looked over at Lily. She was mad. If there was one thing that James knew about Lily, it's that when she is mad, you do exactly as you are told. Before anyone could say 'Hogwarts' James was next to Lily in the kitchen, Harry tucked under his arm.  
  
James smiled. "Ah come on Lil, Harry needs to have some fun." He stopped smiling and put on a serious face. "Besides, we don't know when the next time when Harry will be able to go outside will be."  
  
Lily sighed. "I know. Speaking of that, Sirius should be arriving sometime soon to perform the Fidelius charm." She turned back to finish cooking dinner. "And don't hold Harry like that," she added as an afterthought.  
  
"I know," James said, ignoring the latter comment. "Let's go into the sitting room and watch for him." James turned around and let out a yelp. Sirius was right behind him.  
  
"Hi James!" Sirius blurted out very loudly, as if he was happy to be there.  
  
"Sirius! How many times do I have to tell you, DON"T APPARATE INTO OUR HOUSE! You could at least be a normal person for once and Apparate outside and then walk in the door. But NoOoO, you don't do you. Don't you know how to be polite?" Lily told off Sirius while waving a dirty spatula at him.  
  
"Ahhhhh," Sirius screamed with mock fear, "It's the Spatula of Death!" Sirius began to run around the house screaming and waving his arms.  
  
Harry gurgled and tried to imitate Sirius, but his dad wouldn't let him go so he began to cry. Lily swept over and took Harry from James. She scolded Sirius for acting like a five year old then ushered everyone to the lounge.  
  
The lounge was a nice large room with a homey feel. A large fluffy couch faced a very big fireplace. Two matching chairs were on either side of the couch and a small coffee table was placed conveniently in the middle of all of them. There were several issues of the Daily Prophet and Hogwarts Alumni Monthly Newsletter piled neatly on top of the table. Sirius choose one of the chairs to sit in and James and Lily sat next to each other on the couch, Harry still in Lily's arms.  
  
"Sirius, are you ready to perform the charm? We should do it quickly so that you can get to your hiding place," James said.  
  
Sirius looked towards the fireplace and mumbled something under his breath. Then he turned back to James and said, "I thought that it would be better if we could use someone else. I mean, I am the most obvious choice, not to brag or anything. Wouldn't it be a good idea to use someone that nobody would suspect?" Sirius looked at James with a look of worry in his eyes.  
  
James looked taken aback. "But Sirius, we've been over this before. Lily and I don't really feel comfortable with anyone else." James told Sirius. James looked at Sirius and sighed. He knew it was a good plan, but didn't feel like it was safe. He looked towards Lily. Lily looked down at Harry and back at James the nodded.  
  
"Fine," James agreed. "Who did you have in mind? I don't think that Remus is up to it because of . . . you know, and I don't know if Peter can keep a secret."  
  
"I was thinking Peter," Sirius said. James stared. "No one would suspect him until it's way to late to get him. I can distract them in the meantime and take all the Death Eaters on a wild goose chase. No offense Lily," Sirius put his arm up to block the pillow that Lily threw at him.  
  
"I don't know Sirius," James said carefully, glancing over at Lily. "It has to be either Peter or Remus who is the spy. I don't think that either of them would do that, but someone close to us is giving Voldemort information. I refuse to trust either of them until we have solid evidence of who it is."  
  
"I know but you have to trust me James. Remember when we went to the cabin just last month? Only Remus knew about that and we were attacked by those Death Eaters." Sirius was talking very quickly now to avoid interruption. "Then the week after that we went on that flying trip to Romania to the Quidditch game. We were completely vulnerable then but no Death Eaters attacked. I didn't tell Remus about that, but Peter knew. All the other evidence points to Remus too. I really don't think that's it him, but it can't be Peter either. I know it doesn't add up right, but one sum is still much bigger then the other."  
  
James and Lily shared a secret look with each other. They had been discussing this exact thing the night before. Lily broke her gaze first and looked down at Harry, who had just fallen asleep.  
  
"It's a good plan. I agree. James?" Lily waited to see what James would say.  
  
"Sirius?" James said. "Let's do it."  
  
A/N: Dun Dun Dun . . . . . What will happen next? What will happen to James and Lily? Will they survive? Stay Tuned! 


	2. Chapter 2: In Action

A/N: Thanks to all of my invisible reviewers. I wish that some of them were visible. Nobody likes me. O well. I will continue to write, just because I think that maybe, somewhere out there, somebody will come upon this story and read it.  
  
Disclaimer: Boo! See how surprised you are? That should be what you feel when I announce that I do not own Harry Potter and related people.  
  
Sirius looked at James. "Are you sure? I mean if you really are uncomfortable, we can still go with the original plans." Sirius looked somewhat nervous and took to walking around the coffee table.  
  
Sirius, you just spent a long time trying to convince us that your plan to use Peter has no flaws, and now you are having doubts? It'll be okay, we trust your judgment." James smiled in spite of the situation. Sirius did the strangest things sometimes.  
  
"Okay, let's call up Peter. He's at Hogwarts on business. You know, trying to get some extra bubotuber pus for St. Mungo's," Sirius snorted. He always found it funny that Peter had managed to get a job at St. Mungo's. The other three Mauraders had always teased Peter that he would end up in St. Mungo's as a patient in the mental institute. Sirius felt a little bad for Peter though. He had always tagged along behind them, more often than not being the one teased the most. Peter was also in need of self-confidence, and Sirius felt that none of the boys had been very considerate of that need. Sirius had spent the last few years trying to make up for all the times that Peter had been ignored and had even helped Peter find his current job. Sirius broke his reflections on the past to focus, once again, on the present and future when he realized that James had been talking.  
  
"You know where the fireplace is Sirius. Why don't you call over Dumbledore too so he can make sure that we have the charm right. I'm going to pack up some stuff so you can get to your hiding place. I'm sure Dumbledore can arrange a good spot for Peter to hide." James told Sirius. "What do you think Lily?"  
  
James noticed that Lily had fallen asleep, Harry, asleep also, still in her arms. James smiled, told Sirius to keep the noise down and proceeded upstairs to collect some items for Sirius. In the meantime, Sirius threw some floo powder and told the fireplace that he wanted to talk to Dumbledore. Dumbledore's head poked out of the fire.  
  
"Ah yes...Sirius. Have you preformed the Fidelius charm yet?" Dumbledore said softly, as if he was trying to let only Sirius hear him.  
  
"James and I agreed that it would be a good idea to use Peter instead. Nobody would suspect him, and I can play the decoy for a while." Sirius said in the same quiet tone to avoid waking Lily and Harry.  
  
Dumbledore's eyes showed something similar to surprise, but Sirius thought that it might have just been because the fire blazed up at that moment.  
  
"Are you sure this is a wise choice? Does James understand the risk he and Lily will be taking?" Dumbledore's voice remained quiet, but Sirius noticed a slight tone change.  
  
'Out of worry,' Sirius thought.  
  
"We trust Peter. It seems that Peter is someone most people look upon as a small, boring, person who would sooner crack than stand up against someone, but that's not true. James, Lily and I agreed that it was a good plan," Sirius explained. "Is Peter still at Hogwarts?"  
  
Dumbledore looked slightly different then normal but Sirius could not place the look on his face. Worry? Contemplation? Irritation? Sirius didn't know but before he could do anything more then blink, Dumbledore had disappeared back into the flames. Not even a minute later, Dumbledore stepped through the flames, followed by one Peter Pettigrew. Peter smiled at Sirius and was about to say something but decided against it when he saw that Lily and Harry were sleeping. He moved over to seat himself in the chair that Sirius had previously occupied. At the moment Peter sat down, James, at the top of the stairs, tripped over a toy wand that Harry had discarded earlier and with a yell, came crashing down the stairs, magically expanding suitcase and all.  
  
Both Lily and Harry jolted awake and Harry, not accustomed to being disturbed in his sleep, began to cry loudly. Lily, seeing the state that James had gotten himself into, hastily gave Harry to the nearest person, who happened to be Peter, and rushed over to James.  
  
"James! Are you okay?" Lily practically screamed. "Do you feel pain? Can you move? Did you hit your head? Can you talk?"  
  
"Lily! I'm perfectly fine, only injured pride. Sirius," James turned to a laughing Sirius. "Do me a favor and escort Lily to a chair to get her to stop hovering over me."  
  
Lily huffed and Sirius smiled. Sirius offered his arm to Lily and was actually slightly surprised when she accepted. Lily stuck her tongue out at James then allowed Sirius to lead her to the chair opposite Peter. Lily embraced Sirius and kissed him on the cheek, then took a seat.  
  
James hopped up then offered his arm to Dumbledore in imitation of Sirius. "Dear, kind sir, please allow me to escort you to our lovely couch."  
  
Dumbledore accepted, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Why thank you Mr. Potter. Seeing as how your wife has run off with your other half, I know that you are in need of some company and are very pleased that you find me a suitable replacement. All but in one aspect of course."  
  
James mirrored Dumbledore's smile. "No, I rather enjoy wild, gay sex."  
  
"James!" Lily scolded.  
  
James laughed. "You know I love you Lily." James released Dumbledore's arm, then conjured up a chair for him to sit in. "Now on to more serious matters. Peter, Lily and I would like for you to become our Secret Keeper."  
  
Peter, who had been bouncing Harry on his knee (he had always loved children and was quite practiced with them, having several younger cousins around his house every summer.) looked up in shock. "What?" Peter almost dropped Harry. "Why?"  
  
James and Sirius explained the plan to Peter.  
  
"Well, it is a good plan and I can see why you would like to do it, but I still don't get why you would choose me."  
  
"Well... we have our reasons." James said. "Is it okay with you? We could always use Sirius like we had originally planned."  
  
"No I'll do it," Peter said very quickly. Too quickly.  
  
Sirius looked at him strangely.  
  
Peter realized his mistake and made up an excuse for acting so excited. "I just got a bad feeling in my stomach. I think we should hurry up."  
  
"James, I think that Peter is right. I'm going to get going now." Sirius said. He quickly embraced James and Lily, shook hands with Dumbledore and smiled at Peter. James quickly grabbed his suitcase then, with a pop, he had disapparated.  
  
Everyone stared at the spot that Sirius had been standing in, each thinking his or her own thoughts. Dumbledore was the first to speak up.  
  
"James, Lily, I think that now would be a good time to begin the Fidelius charm. Peter, if you would step forward."  
  
Later that night, a Death Eater slithered (as was the Death Eater way) up to Voldemort's throne. "Master, the Potters have made me their secret keeper..."  
  
A/N: Sorry it took so long. I had it written before I even posted chapter 1, but was too lazy to type it up. 


	3. Authors Notes

A/N: Ok, sorry people, I just can't get into this story. I still plan on writing it, but it may be a long time before I write a new chapter and probably a while in between chapters. If you want to know when I update and not have this story crowd your favorites list (if you even bothered putting it there) then review and give me your e-mail and I can send you an e-mail when I post the next chapter. Yup. Sorry everybody.  
  
BTW, thanks to everybody who reviewed, Pantherocker :-) 


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